Hellfire and JAGM Missiles Confirm Their Key Role in US Strike Power with New Contract.

According to an announcement from the United States Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin has received a contract modification valued at $720 million for the fourth year of production of the Hellfire and Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) systems. This award brings the total value of the agreement to approximately $1.49 billion. Work will be carried out at the company’s facilities in Ocala, Florida, with completion expected by September 30, 2028. The program is managed by the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and is funded through the fiscal year 2025 missile procurement budget.
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The JAGM, designated AGM-179, builds on the Hellfire’s design with an improved guidance system that incorporates a multi-mode seeker combining semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar (Picture source: US DoD)

The contract covers production for both U.S. armed forces and foreign customers under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. More than thirty countries currently operate the Hellfire missile, with Poland joining this list during the previous production cycle through an intergovernmental agreement with the United States for the acquisition of the AGM-114R2. This model, part of the Hellfire II family, is a semi-active laser-guided precision strike missile designed to engage various targets, including armored vehicles, air defense systems, fast boats, light vehicles, fortified positions, and open areas.

The AGM-114R combines the capabilities of earlier Hellfire II versions into a single missile equipped with a multi-purpose warhead, enabling operators to meet diverse operational requirements with one type of ammunition. It can be launched from helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, ground vehicles, or naval platforms, using lock-on before or after launch to enhance the survivability of the launching platform.

The JAGM, designated AGM-179, builds on the Hellfire’s design with an improved guidance system that incorporates a multi-mode seeker combining semi-active laser and millimeter-wave radar. It can engage fixed or moving targets in all weather conditions, through battlefield obscurants, and in GPS-denied environments, while offering fire-and-forget capability and reducing the risk of collateral damage. Weighing 49 kg, measuring 1.78 m in length with a diameter of 178 mm, the JAGM has an operational range of 8 km in its standard version, extended to 16 km in the JAGM-Medium Range variant, which adds a tri-mode seeker with a near-infrared sensor. Its unit cost is estimated at $319,000 (FY 2023), with a total planned production of 26,319 units.

The JAGM is integrated on a wide range of platforms, including the AH-64 Apache, AH-1Z Viper, MH-60R/S Seahawk, MQ-1C Gray Eagle, MQ-9 Reaper, F-35 Lightning II, and Mk 41 vertical launching systems. It is intended for joint-service use and export, with confirmed customers including the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Lockheed Martin states that the current contract structure allows flexible adaptation to the growing demand from U.S. and allied forces. The program is expected to expand internationally as armed forces seek versatile precision-guided munitions for rotary-wing, fixed-wing, and unmanned platforms.

With more than 140,000 units produced, the Hellfire family remains a core component of precision strike capabilities for the United States and its allies. It is deployed across multiple platforms, including AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, as well as various unmanned aerial vehicles. The development and production of the JAGM continues this trajectory by incorporating technologies that expand operational capabilities while maintaining the accuracy and reliability of its predecessors.

In summary, this contract extension reflects the U.S. Department of Defense’s intent to sustain guided missile inventories while supporting exports to partner nations, in a context of sustained global demand for such capabilities.